Tag Archive

Keeping Up With God, Who Is Always A Step Ahead By Beth Demme In the New Testament, right after the four Gospels, we have a book called “Acts.” Sometimes it’s called “Acts of the Apostles” because it’s the story of how the apostles began to teach, preach, and heal after Jesus ascended to heaven. Sometimes it’s called “Acts of the Holy …

Yes, You Are Like The Eunuch By Beth Demme Sometimes we read about an incredibly beautiful moment in the Bible, like the story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch, and we think “good for him!” without understanding it’s really about us, too. And while it can be potentially dangerous to make everything in the Bible about y-o-u, maybe that’s a risk …

The Power of a Shared Meal By Beth Demme I love sitting down at a table with people and sharing a meal. Whether it’s a holiday meal with the family that has loved me my entire life, or an evening out with new friends, I always enjoy “breaking bread” with people. “Breaking bread” has a special meaning in Christianity. If …

Why I Love Doubting Thomas By Beth Demme When you hear the story of “Doubting Thomas” do you think of him as a failure or do you feel an affinity for him? If you don’t know the details of his story, pause for a minute and read how he got his nickname at John 20:19-31. On the one hand, I …

How To Go From Despair to Delight By Beth Demme On Easter we celebrated the resurrection of Jesus. We celebrated an empty tomb that was full of hope! We celebrated that our relationship with God is restored! Now, as we move into the Easter season (Easter Sunday thru Pentecost), I find myself considering Mary Magdalene. I keep thinking about her …

Jesus is Missing from the Easter Story By Beth Demme One of the reasons I come to you via email, Facebook, or blog each week is to fulfill my personal mission to help people see the Bible as manageable and meaningful. That means there are times when I have the joy (and challenge?) of sharing something with you that you …

Resurrection Begins Now (And It’s Not Even Easter Yet) By Beth Demme There comes a time towards the end of Jesus’ earthly ministry when he raises a man from the dead, his dear friend Lazarus. The telling of this story always breaks me a little because of the words of Martha, the sister of Lazarus. Martha is a do-er, a …

The Reality of Lent, #ParklandShooting By Beth Demme On Ash Wednesday 2018, fourteen teenagers and three coaches were savagely murdered in a shooting spree at Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. We, as a country, have a routine after a massacre like this. It’s a routine I don’t much care for. We break into sides, camps, parties, teams, tribes, or …

Jesus Is Authority and Mystery By Beth Demme Jesus is an interesting mix of authority and mystery. In Mark 1:21-28, Jesus is teaching in the synagogue on the Sabbath and people are “’astounded” at his authority. Jesus is there at the synagogue with a small group of disciples who also responded to his authority. Just a few verses earlier they were fishermen. …

God’s Grace Problem By Beth Demme If we were playing a game of word association and I said “Jonah,” chances are good that you would say “whale.” When it comes to Jonah, we tend to get wrapped up in questions about if, how, and why Jonah spent three days in the belly of a fish. But really, Jonah is a …